COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTIONCreated by Samuel Adams employee Fred Hessler. Fred wanted to go big or go home with his homebrew and decided to brew a kicked up Sticke Alt. This full-bodied ale has a big, malty character balanced by subtle orange and grapefruit notes from the hops. With a light amber color, this brew has a sweet finish.

Transfer from BA review on 3-26 -12 -
Poured from bottle into pint glass
Appearance – Pours a deep brown color with a slight reddish hue. Upon pouring there is a giant off white head. The head is composed of big bubbles, but yet has quite a persistence and lasts for some time. Over time it fades and leaves some very nice lacing.
Smell – The aroma is big in malt and sweetness. The malt is mainly roasty in nature with nice biscuity aromas mixed in. For the sweetness, it is composed largely of a toffee aroma with some lighter dark fruit aromas mixed in.
Taste – A heavy sweet malt favor meets the tongue. It is a bit of roasted malt with some sweet cherry bread. Toward the middle the fruit flavors of some cherry and even a little citrus work their way in mixing well with the nice roasty malt flavor. These flavors persist to the end and finish off the taste by mixing with a light boozy flavor that leaves a very nice warming sweet flavor in the mouth.
Mouthfeel –The body of this beer is quite creamy and thick. You can almost chew this one. The carbonation level is just below average and helps to accentuate the nice thick, chewy, creamy body. Mixing the wonderful body and nice carbonation level with the warming feeling that the alcohol brings it makes for an overall very enjoyable mouthfeel.
Overall – This was a nice brew. A nice thick body with some strong sweeter flavors. A very nice sipper with great flavors and a nice feel.

Appearance:
Plum and mahogany with cherry wood highlights. A boisterous tan head fades in rocky clumps and swirls just as foamy and rocky.
Nose:
Cocoa powder, chocolate crisps, and graham crackers. Date and raisin pumpernickel bread. Boozy chewy maraschino cherries in the middle with a tickle of spicy heat in the back. Liquor cherry cordials.
Palate:
Creamy and chewy with pulped and smashed cherries. Tannic apple and plum skins in the finish makes the tongue tingle. Spicy heat in the breath – boozed cherry cordials. Lips are sticky. Candied apples and plums. Sweet smoky chocolate along the sides. Skor bars smoldering over a fire. Dry rustic finish.
Final Thoughts:
With all the spicy boozy rustic notes, I was thinking more of a barrel-aged Alt-bier…if that is even possible. There was even a hint of Samichlaus in there. Truly unique and truly delicious.

Bottle form the long shot packs. Derf should keep his secret, because this beer was not very good. Brown color, white head, sweet as all hell. Fruity, brown sugar, some hops, huge alcohol burn. Not my favorite beer, thanks but no thanks Derf.

12oz bottle served in a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.
A - Pours clear and dark amber in color. 1 finger of tan head.
S - Graham cracker sweetness, yeasty pie dough, dates, caramel covered nuts.
T - Figs, dates, and raisins soaked in alcohol, there’s a good amount of spiciness as well. Thin molasses and nutty caramel malts ride the middle of the fruit. Finishes with spicy alcohol bite.
M - Medium body, good carbonation, slick feel, mellow, mellow warmth.
Great job by the home brewer. This one has a very nice nose on it. A good drinker too but not as put together as the aroma. I did like the fruit esters. Well done.
Serving type: bottle
04-06-2012

Rich deep brown coloured body with a hint of toffee, ruby and amber tints and a thinnish tan head. Aroma of alcohol, sugars, caramel, yeast, graham crackers and a bit of pit fruit - nice. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong toasted malt flavour up front with a big metallic bitterness, some caramel, a little yeast and a strong alcohol warmth at the end. Aftertaste shows a lot of complexity with pit fruits, caramel, toasted malt and a bit of spices at the end, but perhaps a bit too much depth and pungency with metal showing through. Overall, a good and relatively complex beer with a solid flavour profile and a good representation of the style. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Total Wine in McLean, Virginia on 01-August-2012 for US$8.99/6 pack, sampled at home in Washington on 30-April-2013.

Bottle from drabmuh. Thanks Matt.
The beer is copper colored with amber / ruby highlights and a half inch of tan head. The aroma offers candy, sugar, malt - smells sweet. The flavor brings sweet malt, candied fruit, and booze. A bit hot and sweet for my tastes, but I suppose the style calls for this, at least to a certain degree. Some plum and raisin characteristics emerge more as the beer is allowed to warm. Medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. Overall, this was pretty good.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 05-16-2012

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